The Beijing Bullet: China shows off its superfast train which slashes travel times by half

Builders of China's fast-growing bullet train network have conducted a test run of its showcase Beijing-to-Shanghai line amid controversy over the prestige project's high cost.

A train carrying government officials, managers of the companies that built the line and reporters left Beijing for the 824-mile trip. It was due to take about five hours - half the time of conventional rail.

The communist government is building thousands of miles of high-speed rail to link China's far-flung regions and show off its rising wealth and technological prowess.

Already out of date: The CRH380A high-speed train was launched earlier this year and currently holds the world train speed record. But the new model can outrun it by 100mph

Space age: The cockpit of the CRH380A, where the driver is accompanied by two engineers during a test run

First class: Journalists who were invited on the test run on the Beijing-to-Shanghai line enjoy some sleep on the extending seats, and one even does some work

But the multi-billion-dollar plan has provoked complaints that it is too expensive for a country where millions of people still live in poverty. The government announced in April the top speed of the fastest lines would be reduced from 220mph to 190mph and ticket prices would be cut.

Official plans call for the network to expand to 8,000 miles of track this year and 10,000 miles by 2020.

China's trains are based on Japanese, French and German technology but its manufacturers are trying to sell to Latin America and the Middle East.

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That has prompted complaints Beijing is violating the spirit of licences with foreign providers by reselling technology that was meant to be used only in China.

Today's test run comes ahead of celebrations of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party on July 1.

The
Ministry of Railways claims it has made extensive preparations for
safety and security on the trains.

In the hot seat: The engine driver sits in the cockpit as the CRH380A prepares to start its journey while, right, the overhead digital speedometer indicates how fast the train is travelling

International media were treated to a ride on the new train but working class Chinese travellers have complained that they are priced out of high-speed tickets and that regular trains were too often sold out

They include plans for daily
inspections of tracks and other facilities and an earthquake monitoring
system.

The
Beijing-Shanghai line crosses seven provinces that include some of
China's most densely populated and economically developed areas.

The
railway ministry says the line will run 63 pairs of trains a day at 190mph and 27 at 155mph.

Ticket prices range from 1,750 yuan (£169) for a
business class seat on the fastest train to 410 yuan (£39) for
second-class on slower trains.

Government plans call for spending 700
billion yuan (£66billion) on railway building this year. The railway
ministry says the Beijing-Shanghai line cost 215 billion yuan
(£20billion).

Setting the pace: The bullet train can hurtle through the countryside at speeds of up to 220mph

National pride: A worker cleans an already spotless carriage. The CRH network is being showcased by China as a symbol of the country's growing wealth and technological development

Critics say railway officials have diverted too much money to high-speed rail and should be expanding lower-cost traditional rail.

During the Lunar New Year holiday in February, working class travellers complained they couldn't afford high-speed tickets and regular trains were sold out.

A migrant worker became an Internet sensation when he stripped to his underwear to protest outside a ticket office after he waited 14 hours in line but couldn't get tickets for his family.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said earlier this year that construction of one line and operation of another already completed must stop until they receive environmental approval.

Thing of beauty: The high-tech front of the train looks more like the nose of a jet airliner